Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
Posted on: April 20, 2021 | 
| 中文
The Terrace of a Western-Style Diaolou in Kaiping
While China is covered with many breathtaking landscapes and architectural marvels, there are always some that remain under the radar despite their intriguing histories. The quaint rice-field village of Kaiping outside the city of Guangzhou, and a few hours away from the island of Hong Kong, is one such example.
Kaiping’s most notable features are their diaolou, multistoried defensive houses made for protection against bandits during the early 20th Century. Although the diaolou became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007 for their unique hybrid architectural designs, they do not get many tourists compared to the other famous sites all over China. But these flamboyant, Western-styled buildings are fascinating to behold, as they stand out amidst the lush green rice fields.
Rice Farmers in Kaiping
The town of Kaiping has gone through much hardship throughout history, ravaged by the Opium War, Taipei Rebellion and the Revolt of the Red Turbans. During the early 1900’s, the instability of the region and the lack of policing, led to widespread criminal activity such as banditry, robberies and abductions.
To counter this, the village people took matters into their own hands, by building fortified towers that served as defensive fronts in case of an attack or a flood. Largely, these buildings come in three forms: temporary refuge towers built by multiple families, residential fortifications made by wealthy individuals and watch towers for the village. They were built from rammed earth blocks and concrete, which created structures so sturdy that they remain relatively intact during the present. The oldest of these is the rectangular fortress of Yinglonglou, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), whereas the tallest is Ruishui Diaolou built in 1921, that stands nine stories high.
Diaolou and Surrounding Rice Fields
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these buildings is the variety of architecture which constitute them. Many villagers from Kaiping settled in South/South East Asia, North America and Austraila, but continued to send remittances back to the village. As they returned or sent money to their families, they also brought back architectural styles from their Western adopted homes as inspiration for their homes in Kaiping, or as a way to show off their new wealth. Builders would sometimes only use postcards as blueprints for the fortification plans.
A Tower From Up Close
Some have towers and columns, closely resembling European apartment buildings. Others are inspired by Muslim, Greek and Byzantine features in their design and decoration. Even the buildings of Hong Kong served as inspiration, as it was the emigrants’ entry point to, and return point from the West. The top of the diaolou always had a lucky name carved on it, to bring good luck and prosperity to their owners.
Currently, there are about 1800 diolou in their original condition in Kaiping. The best preserved and most visited diaolou is located in Li Gardens, in the Beiyi Xiang district of Kaiping. It was built in 1936 by wealthy businessman Weilli Xie, who was famous for having four wives and twenty children. He built an 11,000 square complex which comprised of one duaolou, six villas, two gardens with waterways, bridges and huge birdcages. This complex included many Western elements like sinks, toilets, marble tiles and fireplaces during a time when many were still living in village huts.
The Li Gardens Compound
However, banditry persisted no matter how tall the fortifications were, or how sophisticated the weaponry used to defend them became. It was not until the Communist Revolution of 1949 that the issue was resolved, and the need for diaolou became redundant.
Nowadays, diaolou are abandoned, used as barns, or simply retained for tourism. In recent years, the Chinese government has encouraged the preservation of the diaolou because of their good conditions, and the history of migrant Chinese workers associated with them. Many of the owners let tourists into their dioulou and narrate the story of their families for a fee, while rickshaws take tourists all over the village to different complexes.
Details on a Western-Inspired Diaolou
The diaolous of Kaiping are fascinating marvels which tell the tale of a village that was deeply affected by Western influences and local needs. At the height of their construction, diaolou were seen as as testimony to the village’s wealth and social cohesion in the face of dangerous circumstances. As China opens up more to international tourists, places like Kaiping are worth looking into and exploring, as they showcase the history of China’s cultural dialogue with the rest of the world and vice versa
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